With the Pandemic, we have been forced to work differently in our business.  Have you made the adjustment?

I know it is difficult to juggle homeschooling, a household and your MK biz.  And maybe you are even juggling a job on top of everything.

What if I told you that the key to your sanity and success is your FB Customer group?  I have been preaching this for awhile and now I know for sure that daily, consistent effort on FB is what stands between you and a profitable business.

I treat FB as if it were a client appointment in my datebook because that is how important and profitable it can be.

Here are my 5 Tips to run a Profitable FB Business:

1.  Use your Profile (personal page) to let people know who you are.  People want to do business with people they like, know and trust.  Be social on social media.  Your profile is a great way to build an audience.

2.  Engage with others on Social Media.  Comment on posts, start conversations with others and join groups that you have commonalities with.  

3.  Don't sell on your Profile.  Educate, socialize, engage and build curiosoity about what you do.

4.  Build a customer group where you are posting and/or going LIve daily.  Yes, I said DAILY!  Educate, inpsire and add value to your audience in your group.

5.  Your customer group should NOT just be about sales.  Sales will come when you educate and add value.  People want to buy they just don't want to be sold to!

This past week, I did a 6 minute video on the new Summer products that are coming out.  That Live produced sales of almost $1,000.  My customer group is my primary source of sales.  Honestly, it is how I run my business.  My intention is NEVER to sell, it is only to add value to my audience.

Facts tell but stories sell.  Let your audience know what products you like and you are using and why you use and like those products.  It is really that simple!  

I know Live can be VERY scary but it is THE BEST WAY to share tips and tutorials.  Feel the fear and do it anyway.  Your audience wants to see YOU...... the imperfect, authentic YOU!

Comment below with one thing that you will be incorporating!

Theresa

The last time I blogged was October.  When I first started this blogging journey, I was so excited and ready to do it then all of a sudden I lost my mojo.  I couldn't figure out WHY I started to Blog and what drew me to it.

Well, I had a BIG "aha" moment today.  I was blogging for my audience but I wasn't sure who my audience was.  That is why I stopped cold turkey!

I have been running a direct selling business and I have a lot of "pink keys" to share.........with other direct sellers and quite frankly with anyone who wants to learn and grow.  The things I have learned over my time as a small business owner span more than just business....... I have learned so much about life in general.

I had been struggling with sharing information to the public because my focus was too broad.  Although I am honing in on small business owners, the keys I will be sharing are good for many more than just direct sellers.

So a text conversation with a fellow direct seller friend (I am sure she knows who she is), switched on a lightbulb in my head.  My experience is growing a direct selling business in good times and bad, feeling the full effects of the rollercoaster of owning your own business almost daily (especially in these times) and coming out successful in the end.  I wanted to share that with my team - The Trailblazers - and anyone who owns their own business and could use a little encouragement along the way.

I have built a fairly successful business while NEVER compromising what I have been taught of Faith first, Family second and Career third.  

Am I the most successful in my business?  Of course not, but I have learned an incredible amount during my almost 20 years and I want to share it with you so you can have LONG TERM success in your business.  Because there is something to be said about longevity in a direct sales business.

So I hope you follow me and are inspired by what I will share.  My goal is to do this at least monthly, maybe more if I feel like I can add value to you.  I will be honest and direct with each Blog.  I am not good at beating around the bush or trying to have you figure out what I am trying to say - I'll just say it (LOL!)

Thanks for hanging in there with me as I am always learning and growing.

-Theresa

I know how that after a long day at work or at home, all you really want to do is brush your teeth, crawl into bed and crash.  I get it........  taking even an extra 3 minutes to cleanse your face could be 3 minutes too long. 

But I am begging you to form a new habit and take those extra 3 minutes to cleanse and moisturize before you hit the sack!

I understand that you are cleansing and moisturizing when you wake up and that is GREAT!  However going to bed without cleansing whether you wear makeup or not could be aging your skin 7 times faster!  In fact, In 2013, there was an experiment conducted in which one woman stopped washing her face for an entire month and simply reapplied her makeup over her unwashed skin each morning. Experts said she literally aged herself by 10 years, all because she skipped cleansing for 30 days.

Here is what you are risking by sleeping in your makeup:

1.  Eye Infection - by leaving your eye makeup on, you could open yourself up to dry , irritated eyes which in some cases could cause infection.  We only get one set of eyes and we need to take care of them!

2.  Wrinkles - I am sure wrinkles are not on your list of things you'd like to have, right?  Well sleeping in your makeup can age your skin by possibly breaking down your collagen.

3.  Breakouts - If you are prone to breakouts, sleeping in your makeup is the WORST thing you can do.  Even if you are not prone to breakouts, sleeping in your makeup could cause breakouts because it will clog the pores and cause pimples.

4.  Dry, Dull Skin - Your oil and dead skin are pressed against your pillowcase all night, stopping or slowing the natural repair process that happens overnight.

5.  Rash - It is possible that a rash could develop.  Lots of makeup has fragrance and/or dyes in them that when left on the skin could irritate it and cause a rash.  This is especially true if you have already senstive skin.

So, here is some tough love.  No matter how tired you are, cleansing your face before bed is a must to keep it healthy and young!  You can find 2-3 minutes to get it done.  Your future skin will thank you for it!  

As I am maturing (aka aging), I am realizing the good and bad habits that I have formed over the past 40 years taking care of my skin.  The good and the bad add up so it is important to stop the bad as soon as you realize they are bad and keep up with the good!

I thought it would be fun to share these habits so you can learn from them, both good and bad.

Good Skin Care Habits:

1.  I can count on 1 hand the number of times that I went to bed with makeup on.  Yes even through college!  Did you know that your skin ages 7 times faster every time you go to bed with out washing!  Remember that adds up and when you get to be in your 50's like I am then it can have a real effect on how your skin ages!

2.  Take the time to pamper your skin by using masks.  I know you may sometimes think you don't have 10-20 minutes to pamper your skin but the truth is you do.  We all need some down time so why not multitask your down time by masking?  Masking is a real skin refresher and helps rejuvenate your skin.  And by the way, this is the only time when multitasking is good.

3.  Exfoliation.  We all need to exfoliate!  By exfoliating routinely, we are sloughing off all that dead skin that can cause skin issues.  Exfoliation opens your skin up to receiving the added skin care supplements better.  There are many different ways to add exfoliation into your routine and I can help you decide what is better fo you.  Virtual consultations are now available.  Click here to schedule your complimentary session:  calendly.com/tlacesa/20min

Bad Skin Care Habits:

1.  I am sort of fair skinned and I hated that growing up.  So instead of using sunscreen, I would prefer to be red from the sun.  I really damaged my skin in high school and college by not wearing sunscreen.  Remember the baby oil and reflective blankets?  Well, needless to say they are not good at all for your skin!!

2.  I wish I would have started using anti-aging products in my 20's.  I started using anti-aging products at 32 when I started my Mary Kay business and realized that you are never too young to start a good anti-aging skin care routine!

What are some of your good and bad skin care habits?  

It is the season for us to travel.  My daughter plays college volleyball and we decided to travel to watch her play.  For about 2.5 months we are gone almost every weekend.

To be truthful with you I have never been a good packer.  But over this past year, I feel like I have mastered this task with all of the travel in a short amount of time.

Here are my 3 Must Haves for travel:

1.  A really good suitcase.  I like the hard cover suitcases with the 4 wheels.  They are so easy to manuever.

2.  A really good toiletry/makeup bag.  Mary Kay's Travel Roll Up is the BEST.  It has 4 large, see through pockets that velcro on and off for easy removal (espcially helpful if you are flying and not checking bags).  I fill all of my toiletries plus my makeup in that one bag.

3.  Mary Kay's Facial Cleansing cloths.  These cloths are the BEST!  They are dry clothes with cleanser in them so perfect for travel.  You simply wet the cloth to release the cleanser then wash your face!  I tuck a couple into my top pouch and never have to worry about having enough cleanser in those small travel tubes.   These are great for the gym too!  

One other important tip........  I keep my Travel Roll Up stocked and ready to go.  I have forgotten too many things too many times so I have learned the hard way!  

Comment below with some of your favorite travel/packing tips!

The one thing every busy mom needs is..........  Back to School Survival Kit!

This kit is something that you can keep in your car.  It takes 2 minutes.  Other than the kit, all you need is a mirror - your car mirror!

The truth is that we often rush out of the house for whatever reason.  We hop into our car and realize that we took no time to get ourselves ready!  

Maybe after you drop your kids off at school, you want to head to the grocery store or run some errands but you realize that you left the house only brushing your teeth and throwing on a baseball cap.

But then you remember that you have your Back to School Survival Kit so you don't need to waste time by stopping at home and putting a little makeup on.  You have your kit right in your car!

The Back to School Survival kit is a ziploc bag, a paper towel and 3 must have products:

* CC Cream
* Mascara 
* Lip Gloss

I call these 3 products my "Get cute quick" must haves.  The CC cream evens out your skin tone and protects your skin with SPF.  A little mascara makes everyone look better and then gloss and go for your lips!

And it literally takes less than 2 minutes to do right in your car!  

Be sure that you are receiving my Beauty News!  I deliver lots of tips weekly directly to your inbox.  You don't want to miss my Back to School Survival Kit tutorial!  

I was seeing all of the Back to School posts and pictures.  I was liking them all.  How could I forget how crazy and chaotic this season of life can be?  It had only been 2 years out of the "back to school" craziness for me.

The truth is that I forgot about my customers.  I forgot to get inside of their heads to remember how down right chaotic this time of year is for parents, especially moms.

We can barely get our kids up, dressed and to school on time let alone think about taking care of ourselves.  Then we think we have all day to get things done and before we know it, they are home from school and the homework battles and fighting begins.

It is a time when new routines are established and it takes time to get into a rhythym.  I get it but I forgot.   I forgot that you are frazzled in the morning trying to wake the kids because they don't want to get up.  You are trying to get them out the door so they don't miss the bus.  They aren't hungry so they don't want to eat breakfast and you know they need to.  You worry all day long about them.  

You have no energy to put makeup on in the morning and you are so tired at night so you break the golden rule of not taking your makeup off before you go to sleep.

I hear you loud and clear.  Here is what I know though......  You MUST take time for YOU!  Your beauty routine, whatever that may be, is important for your well being.  You know that when you are not looking good on the outside, you aren't feeling great on the inside and the household suffers.  Have you ever heard the saying, "Happy Wife, Happy Life"??

I am here to tell you that I have some tips to help you.  Easy, simple tips that could get you taking care of you again!

If you are not receiving my Beauty News, then you will want to get on the list!  I'll be sharing my Back to School Beauty Survival Kit with tons of quick tips and tricks to get you looking and feeling great again!  Plus I am trying something BRAND NEW that I am over the top excited about........... Something that will help put YOU first without leaving your house or adding something in to throw off your schedule.................
​Virtual Consultations!  More details can be found in my Beauty News.

The truth is that in my almost 19 years with Mary Kay, I have never been more excited about a product launch!  

It was a long time in the making but it was worth the wait.  The launch of Mary Kay Naturally is simply a GAME CHANGER



​Here are 10 reasons why I think you will fall in love with this new line:
1.  No Parabens!
2. No Phthalates- actually we have no Phthalates in ANY of our Mary Kay products!
3.  No synthetic dyes or fragrances!
4.  No SlS/SLES - this is used to add foaming or lathering agents to cleansers.  That is why we recommend a cotton pad to use our cleanser because it doesn't foam.
5.  It is good for ALL skin types!
6. You can add any or all of the products in the Naturally line to your existing anti-aging skin care.
7.  The Naturally line has a shelf life of 3 years - no refrigeration necessary!
8.  Certified by EcoCert- EcoCert is one of several organizations that certifies products as natural according to COSMOS standards!
9.  100% of the ingredients in the Exfoliating Powder, Nourishing Oil  and Moisturizing Stick are derived from natural sources.  99.49% of the ingrediaents in the Purifying Cleanser is derived from natural sources
10.  It has literally changed faces!  My daughter's skin has never looked so good.  SHe noticed a difference after 1 use and that is no exaggeration!

If you would like more information on this fabulous line and how it can fit into your skin care routine, comment below!

August 6th will always be etched in my memory.  That is the day my dad passed away from lung cancer over 18 years ago.  As I was thinking back on his life, I realized how many life lessons he taught me.  My dad was not much of a talker, he taught us through his actions.

He had a very different and I would say difficult childhood.  He was one of many kids and no father as his father died when he was very young. He did not graduate high school either.  

I tell you all of these things because he was a person who rose above his circumstances to become a great dad.  He and my mom raised 6 kids together.  He rarely ever spoke about his upbringing to us.  He just decided to give us a better childhood compared to his.

The life lessons I learned from my Dad helped mold me into the person I am today and here are the simple things that we can all do to experience a more joy filled life.

1.  Get up early and get to work.  I attribute my work ethic to my dad.  With no high school diploma, my dad ran a successful contractor business.  He worked untill the work was done.  

2.  Give back to your church and community.  I remember my Dad volunteering after Sunday mass by helping to count the collection offering.  He would meet the family for breakfast after.  He would also help kids in jail by giving them a job on work release.  I remember going to pick up and drop off one kid in particular.  He knew many of these kids just needed a second chance and a good role model.

3.  Set high expectations.  We knew what was expected of us as kids.  Stay out of trouble, get good grades and be on time.  

I am grateful for the 32 years I had with my Dad and all the lessons I learned.  He was not perfect (no one is) but as I look back on his life, it is hard for me to believe how conciously different he raised us from how he was raised. 

No matter what life throws at you, you have the choice to make the best of it for yourself but more importantly for others too!

It has been awhile since I published a Blog post....... over a month!  I wanted to make my first Blog post back fun so I decided to let you in on some secrets!  Well , they are not really secrets but I wanted to share 10 things that you may not know about me so here they are:

1.  I am a serious introvert!  I genuinely LOVE people but they seriously wear me out so I need space after having a big "people' day.

2.  I am a political junkie!  I follow politics.  I know, I know...... totally nerdy and boring!  If you came over to my house you might find me watching the news instead of a TV show.

3.  I was the starting point guard for a District Championship basketball team.  Yes, little me is a pretty good athlete - lol.

4.  I married my high school sweetheart.  We met when we were 14 and 15 years old.

5.  I am the second youngest of 6 kids with only 1 brother in the bunch.

6.  I went to school to be an X-Ray Technologist.  I did that job for a short 2 years before I got into marketing.

7.  Tell me I can't do something, and I will prove to you that I can.  I think I get that from being so short.  I feel like I was always underestimated, especially as an athlete.

8.  I consider my 2 kids miracles as I struggled with infertility..... I lost 3 in a span of 15 months before I had my son.  

9.  My kids only have 1 living grandparent - my mom.  We lost Mike's dad about 1 month before we got married.  We lost my dad about 8 years later and Mike's mom almost 4 years ago.  They all were very influential in my life.

10.  I love Pinot Grigio.  There is nothing better than sitting outside on a summer day sipping on a glass of pinot grigio!

So there you have it......I would love to hear which of my 10 things surprised you the most!